The present invention relates generally to machine tooling and more specifically to method and system setting up machine tooling in advance of use.
Crimping a terminal to a wire requires the use of a “crimping die” or “applicator” in conjunction with a press, semi-automatic stripper-crimper, or fully automatic cut-strip-terminate machine. Both the stripper-crimper and the cut-strip-terminate machines incorporate mechanisms to strip wire insulation prior to actuating the applicator to produce a completed wire termination. Removing the wire's insulation or “stripping” has specific parameters that need to be set in order to achieve good results that leave a clean accurate strip without damage to the conductor. The basic stripping parameters, such as strip length, strip position and wire gauge are dictated by a combination of the dimensions of the terminal to be applied and the size of the wire. Additional stripping parameters such as delta wayback and trimming, etc. can be employed to produce improved results in the event the wire is particularly difficult to work. Semi-automatic and fully automatic machines are commonly used to accomplish wire stripping, however, such machines typically require a machine operator to manually adjust the stripping parameters, program them into the machine's memory, or recall them from the machine's memory in order to properly setup the machine for the intended terminal and wire combination. Such machines can typically store from hundreds to many thousands of stripping parameters for the multitude of applicators that a manufacturer might use in various manufacturing processes. Due to the complexity of setup and the number of possible applicators involved, setup and programming by an operator can be a time consuming process. Additionally, if the wrong stripping parameters are set and the machine is allowed to run, defective product may be produced, materials may be wasted and production time may be lost. Eliminating the manual programming process during the setup of the applicator would be beneficial since this would reduce setup times and would eliminate a source of potential errors in the manufacturing process.